If you decide to go find the supplies yourself, you will need to find a small bag of concrete mix (good luck on this one… concrete mix is usually sold in large bags of 50 lbs. or more! Keep your eyes peeled for a smaller “patching” kit) and a cardboard mold (craft stores sell cardboard craft boxes like the one pictured above in many shapes/sizes). Thankfully, my kit included just the right amount of concrete mix for my little planter so I didn’t have to hunt it down.

Start by wetting the cardboard box mold to ensure that you will be able separate the mold from the concrete after it dries. Then, following the instructions on your concrete mix packaging, add the appropriate amount of water to the mix so that you get a pliable paste.

My kit came with a little wooden spreading tool but you can use a disposable spoon or something similar to spread the concrete along the inside of the cardboard mold, adding a drop or two of water to the mix if it becomes too dry.

Once all of the concrete has been spread out in the mold, use the spoon to smooth out all of the edges and make a small hole at the bottom for drainage. Set aside your project so that the concrete can dry according to the directions (mine took 12 hours but I left it for 24 hours to be sure).

Once the concrete has dried, tear or cut the cardboard mold away from the concrete. If any of the cardboard sticks, use a wet cloth to soak away the remaining pieces.

Your planter is done! How easy was that!? I added soil and succulents to my heart-shaped planter before giving it to my valentine. I love the rustic look and the handmade feel of the concrete planter. We may have to order a few more kits and make a bunch of these for our backyard! :)

**I was in no way compensated for this post by NativeCast… I just think their product is awesome! :)**

I t has been a busy couple of weeks but I managed to find time to snap a few pictures of my stunning Valentine’s Day roses. I thought they might brighten your Friday! Enjoy and have a great weekend! :)

I know the blog has been slow this week but I am in the process of playing catch up from a crazy couple of weeks. Until I get a chance to photograph some of my recent projects, I thought I would share something fun with you this week. Saturday is the 5th anniversary of a very special day… the day I brought home an adorable little creature with four furry legs and a fan tail! I suppose I should start from the very beginning of the story before I start sharing all kinds of adorable Bo pictures.

In January of 2008, I was on The Price is Right. Yes, the game show (here is a full video if you don’t believe me). If you are going to watch the whole video stop reading because I am about to spoil it for you. I ended up walking away from the show with a trip to Washington D.C. and a Corvette! Needless to say that between the sales tax, the income tax (they consider the full value of the car “income” and tax it at an insanely high rate of close to 30% or so), and the car insurance costs (plus the speeding tickets a 21-year-old girl in a Corvette would inevitably attract), I wasn’t ever planning on keeping the car. So I simply signed a couple of pieces of paper at the dealership, sold the “used” car back to the them, and walked out of the building with the biggest check I have ever held in my hands. I went straight to the bank out of pure terror.

Me on the morning of the Price is Right taping! Like my take on the “Ithaca is Gorges” shirt?

Bye, bye Corvette. We would have made a handsome couple.

I put all of the winnings into a savings account that I vowed not to touch until it was time to do something special for my future (and pay a boatload of taxes). However, my parents encouraged me to use a little bit to splurge on something special. I think they figured I would get an iPhone or some new clothes. Instead, I called them the next day and said, “I know what I want to spend my money on: adopting a puppy. I have wanted one for my entire life and now I finally have the money to take care of it myself. I have time while I am in LA to devote to training the dog and going to obedience lessons. However, I will be living in your house for one more summer before graduating so I need to make sure you are okay with it since it will affect you. Otherwise I can wait until after I graduate so that you never have to deal with it.” My parents responded with, “We’ll think about it but go ahead and start looking to see what’s out there.”

I spent the next few weeks scouring Petfinder during every spare minute of the day. I sent out hundreds of inquiries and even met a few dogs in person. However, none of them were quite right for my fairly specific requirements. Finally, after over a month of hunting, I stumbled upon an adorable little pup mistakenly listed in the “Adult” age group section of Petfinder (usually dogs under 3 or 4 years are listed under “Baby” or “Young”) and followed the link to an adoption ad for “Bo” on a rescue organization’s (Friends of Orange County’s Homeless Pets) website. I instantly connected with that sweet face and contacted the organization immediately.

This was Bo’s original adoption ad (now under “adopted dogs”).

After a series of emails with his foster mom over a couple days, I was convinced that this little guy could be “the one.” I drove down to Orange, CA, with my current LA roommate to meet the little furball that had already stolen my heart. When I got there, he was exactly what I had hoped for and knew I wouldn’t be able to find a better dog for myself in a million years.

The first picture I ever took of Bo (at his foster mom’s house)!

The first picture ever taken of Bo & I. Forgive the crazy eye… I was over-excited I guess haha! ;)

I called my parents on the way home. When I told them I had found the dog of my dreams, I asked them for their final decision and my dad paused for a long time. Then he responded slowly by saying, “Your mom and I have been talking and we have decided that now really isn’t a good time for you to get a dog…” My heart sank and a tear fell down my cheek. While I prepared myself to calmly tell them I understood and would respect their decision, my dad happily shouts, “…we think it’s a GREAT time!” After busting into happy tears and yelling at them both for playing mean tricks on me, I excitedly told them all about the dog named Bo. I emailed an adoption application to Bo’s foster mom the minute I arrived home.

Bo’s foster mom must have sensed my connection with Bo because she chose my application over a few others. BO WAS MINE! We arranged to meet at the Petsmart in Tustin, CA, that Saturday where Bo would be microchipped and sent back with me to his new forever home.

On February 22, 2008, the night before I picked him up, my episode of The Price is Right aired on national primetime television. However, the next morning as I walked up to the adoption event at the pet store and saw that happy pup wiggling and prancing toward me, I was a thousand times more excited. Choosing to adopt Bo as my fur baby was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. Now when people ask about my little canine family member, I like to tell them that I won Bo on The Price is Right. :)

After all of the excitement on his adoption day, Bo needed a serious nap! :)

P.S. The rescue organization didn’t really know much about Bo’s story prior to his arrival. Somehow he ended up at a high-kill county shelter that called the rescue organization to come take him because they thought he would make a great pet. When the rescue organization picked him up, he had kennel cough, parasites, and was way too skinny. After a little TLC, he was as good as new!

P.P.S. I was going to come up with a new name for Bo once I brought him home. While I debated, I kept calling him Bo and after a while, nothing seemed to fit quite as well as the name he came with! :)

P.P.P.S. The sumer living in my parent’s house with Bo ended up going so well that they adopted a Bo look-alike for themselves the following December! Coincidence? I think not!